The Visible Leader

Dr Nia Thomas is a thought leader in self-aware leadership and practices self-aware leadership every single day in her role as Director in a Children’s Charity.
She has an allergic reaction when she hears the phrase ‘you shouldn’t care what anyone else thinks’.

We talked about the perils of heeding that advice and how to avoid going the other way and becoming a total people pleaser!

Topics we covered:

• How to become aware of your blind spots.
• The pros and cons of 360 feedback.
• The cautions around self-awareness. How to avoid overthinking every encounter you have with your team.
• How you can be an authentic leader whilst taking others' opinions into account.
• How to judge when constructive feedback is useful or noise that should be disregarded.
• How can leaders navigate the fine line between caring about others' thoughts and maintaining their authenticity?

Find out more about Dr Nia Thomas: https://knowingselfknowingothers.co.uk/

And connect with her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nia-d-thomas/

Get your free copy of my Leader's Guide to Increasing Your Impact, Influence & Free Time here: www.visibly-different.co.uk/increasing-your-impact

And if you enjoyed the Podcast, please share with someone who might benefit and leave a rating and review.

In this episode, I chat with Stacey, an expert on introverted leadership, about the myths surrounding introverts in leadership roles and how they can excel in environments often geared towards extroverts.

Have a listen and discover how to truly embrace your strengths as an introverted leader!

Key takeaways include:

• Introversion vs Extroversion: Stacey shares her thoughts on why it’s not a simple binary choice and how understanding these traits can help leaders play to their strengths.
• Debunking Myths about Introverted Leaders: We explore the stereotype of being quiet and discuss why introverts can be powerful leaders.
• Practical Tips for Introverts in the Workplace: From preparing for meetings to managing your energy, Stacey offers some brilliant, actionable advice to ensure introverts have their voices heard.
• Influence and Contribution: We cover how introverts can influence and contribute without needing to be the loudest person in the room.
• How to Ask for What You Want: Stacey gives great advice on how introverts can successfully ask for the promotion, recognition, or raise they deserve.

Stacey also shares a free “Meetings Playbook for Introverts” – you can download it from her website to learn more.

Resources:

• Contact me to book your free 30-minute Leading Smarter discovery call on LinkedIn.
• Visit Stacey’s website: ifactorleadership.com for more insights and tools.
• Meeting Playbook for Introverts: 10 Strategies to Have Your Voice Heard and Your Ideas Shine: https://ifactorleadership.com/meetingplaybook/
• Conference Survival Guide for Introverts: https://ifactorleadership.com/survivalguide/- Ways to work with Stacey: https://ifactorleadership.com/coaching/
• Connect with Stacey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chazinconsulting/

Got a question for me? I'm just a message away on LinkedIn.

Click here to get your free copy of my Leader's Guide to Increasing Your Impact, Influence & Free Time

And if you enjoyed the Podcast please share with someone who might benefit and leave a rating and review.

Rich Kirkpatrick is a creative leader, author, and speaker who helps people unlock their creative potential.

With a background spanning both business and the arts, he blends science and creativity to guide teams and leaders in fostering innovation. He’s the author of Mind Blown: Unlock Your Creative Genius by Bridging Science and Magic, where he offers practical insights into the creative process.

In this episode, we dive deep into the concept of creativity and how it impacts our personal and professional lives. Here’s a sneak peek at the topics covered:

• What is Creativity?
  We kick things off by questioning the very essence of creativity. Is there a test to measure it, or is it something more intrinsic?
• Leadership and Creativity:
  Explore how creativity manifests in leadership and teams, and what happens when it’s missing.
• Signs of a Creative Team:
  How can a leader tell if their team is creatively thriving or just going through the motions?
• The Wizard vs. The Robot:
  Discover the two types of thinkers in creativity and why both are essential to the process.
• Iterative Improvement vs. Creative Leaps:
  Can creativity be a series of small steps, or are big leaps necessary? What’s the risk involved?
• Creating a Culture for Creativity:
  Learn about fostering an environment where creativity can flourish and the surprising elements that might be holding your team back.
• Constraints as Creativity’s Best Friend:
  Why setting boundaries might actually unlock more creative potential.
• Is Creativity Always Good?
  Can too much creativity be a hindrance? The discussion turns to balance and the importance of execution.
• Top 5 Creativity Killers in Leadership:
  What are leaders doing today that stifles creativity, and how can they turn it around?

Contact me to book your free 30-minute Leading Smarter discovery call on LinkedIn.

Connect with Rich on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richkirkpatrick/

Got a question for me? I'm just a message away on LinkedIn.

Click here to get your free copy of my Leader's Guide to Increasing Your Impact, Influence & Free Time

And if you enjoyed the Podcast please share with someone who might benefit and leave a rating and review.

Testament to their belief that relationships are the source of results, Phil Burgess and Felix Koch have worked together for more than a decade.

As joint Managing Directors of marketing services agency, C Space, their people-centric leadership approach to culture transformation led to various awards including ‘Best Place to Work’, ‘Best Agency’ and ‘Learning Team of the Year’ at the Learning Performance Institute’s Global Learning Awards.

They were jointly listed on Management Today’s ‘Agents of Change’ Power List for men championing gender equity in business and in 2022, Felix was listed on the InsideOut LeaderBoard which celebrates senior-leader role models who are working to smash the stigma of mental ill-health in workplaces.

As Chief People Officer and European CEO of C Space, they commissioned an award-winning mental health and connection programme which had a phenomenal impact on participant wellbeing and their sense of connection.

This inspired them to leave their corporate careers to set up WITHIN where they now work with leaders to drive results by creating cultures of connection where people can thrive. Their award-winning, group-based approach strengthens relationships, significantly improving wellbeing and delivering sustained impact over time.

The topics we covered:

• How people feel connection and disconnection in the workplace.
• Where employee disconnection might show up in the bottom line.
• What positive impact working on connection could bring.
• How people’s best efforts often miss the mark.
• And what you can do that will really make a difference.

If you want to hear more from Phil and Felix sign up to their free workshop:

Unlearning 3 leadership habits that prevent connection. https://calendly.com/within-business/within-workshop-unlearn-3-habits-that-prevent-connection?month=2023-10

Or connect with them on LinkedIn:

Felix: www.linkedin.com/in/relationships-are-the-source-of-results/

Phil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipburgess/

Edited by Steve Woodward at podcastingeditor.com

I talked to Scott Allen about tackling some of the most persistent myths about leadership.

Why do these myths continue to hold sway, and how do they shape our understanding of what it means to lead?

Scott dives deep into the origins and impact of these myths, encouraging us to rethink traditional views on leadership.

Key questions explored:

• Are leaders really born, not made? Scott’s insights challenge this well-worn belief.
• How do we define leadership? Spoiler: it’s far more than just holding a title.
• Does charisma automatically make someone a good leader, or can it sometimes be a drawback?
• Why do so many leaders feel compelled to have all the answers? Scott turns this idea on its head.
• Should leaders always be ethical, and is there ever a place for lying in leadership?

Join us as we challenge these myths and offer fresh perspectives that will make you reflect on your own leadership journey. This episode is packed with ideas that could transform your approach to leadership.

Intrigued? Listen now and prepare to rethink what you thought you knew about leading.

Mentioned in the episode:

• The Leader’s Framework for Decision Making by Snowden & Boone – A must-read Harvard Business Review article exploring decision-making in leadership.
• Research on charisma by John Antonakis – Groundbreaking research on how charisma influences leadership from a professor at the University of Lausanne.
• Psychological Safety by Amy Edmondson – Learn more about Amy Edmondson’s pioneering work on creating environments where teams can thrive.
• Dissent in organisations by Megan Reitz – Explore Megan Reitz’s research on speaking up and dissent in the workplace, and how leaders can foster open debate.

Find out more about Scott Allen at scottjallen.net or connect with him on LinkedIn

Contact Me:

• Book your free 30-minute Leading Smarter Discovery Call https://calendly.com/visiblydifferentcorine/1-2-hr-discoverycall
• Download my Leader's Guide to Increasing Your Impact, Influence & Free Time https://www.visibly-different.co.uk/increasing-your-impact/

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone who might benefit and don’t forget to leave a rating and review!